John Tortorella, despite his coaching prowess, has a limited tenure with teams.
He excels at maximizing player performance but employs stringent methods. Tortorella is known for holding players accountable, regardless of their status or the season`s progression, often using benching as a disciplinary tool. No player is exempt from this approach.
This coaching style presented a peculiar dynamic for the Philadelphia Flyers, a team undergoing a rebuild and aiming to re-establish itself as a contender. Tortorella frequently benched young, promising Flyers, even when playoff contention was improbable. These developmental moments might have been more effectively utilized on the ice, allowing players to learn through experience and mistakes, rather than from the sidelines. While Tortorella`s methods might have been more effective in previous eras, sidelining potential franchise cornerstones has become an outdated practice.
For fantasy hockey enthusiasts, Tortorella`s approach created significant challenges. It was difficult to depend on players under Tortorella, given the uncertainty of their game-to-game availability and ice time. In fantasy hockey, consistent availability is paramount.
This season offered numerous instances of Flyers players, who should be valuable fantasy assets, becoming unreliable. Matvei Michkov, for instance, was benched for several games earlier in the season, and Owen Tippett saw his ice time reduced. In Tortorella`s last game with the Flyers, Cam York played only 3:50 due to disciplinary reasons, spending the majority of the game on the bench. These scenarios are far from ideal for fantasy hockey.
Michkov is crucial for both the Flyers` future and fantasy hockey leagues. He possesses franchise player potential, and fantasy owners benefit more from him accumulating points in games, even losses, than being a healthy scratch. Connor Bedard faces similar difficulties due to a less talented supporting cast, but he consistently plays. Michkov also benefits from playing alongside Travis Konecny, who can assist in maintaining strong statistics despite team challenges.
Michkov`s increased confidence is evident, with four goals in the two games following Tortorella`s departure. Fantasy managers should consider elevating Michkov in next season`s draft rankings.
The Flyers` permanent coaching replacement for Tortorella remains undetermined, but it is anticipated that the team will adopt a more fantasy-friendly approach. This likely means less concern about Flyers players being benched or receiving insufficient ice time. A roster previously considered risky for fantasy drafting now presents enhanced opportunities.
